"I have some updates on the shooting incident at the range," Matthew said, finding Margot Robbie during a break in filming. "You were involved, after all."
"Did they announce Eddie Lowe's sentence?" Margot asked immediately.
Matthew nodded. They had both attended the final trial, though the judge hadn't ruled immediately.
"Is it the death penalty?" Margot asked.
Matthew shook his head. "No. His past military service in Iraq saved his life," he explained.
There were many complexities here. A harsh sentence could provoke backlash from veterans with PTSD and potentially alienate military personnel. Conversely, a lighter sentence might also anger them.
"They didn't just give him a decade or something, did they?" Margot asked, sounding concerned.
"Of course not," Matthew replied. He had applied some pressure of his own. "Judge Kaysen sentenced Eddie Lowe to life without parole."
Margot exhaled with relief. "Good."
Matthew remarked calmly, "So that's the end of it. The families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield didn't appeal."
If he hadn't intervened, the sentence might have been lighter. Eddie Lowe's defense had leaned heavily on his mental health issues as a defense, citing his combat-related trauma. If Lowe had been able to afford a top legal team, he might have received a more lenient sentence.
But Eddie Lowe himself had been resolute in accepting guilt.
Nobody truly understood what was going on in the veteran's mind. He had sobbed after his arrest, openly remorseful for his actions. He had repeatedly apologized for killing Chad Littlefield.
In the end, the jury had rejected the insanity defense, deeming his actions premeditated. Under California law, a defendant with a mental disorder could still be found guilty if they understood their actions were wrong.
Two well-known psychologists had testified, concluding that Eddie Lowe's condition did not meet the legal criteria for insanity.
The court's final judgment was that his actions weren't due to mental illness but rather calculated malice.
Matthew was mostly satisfied with the outcome; at least, in his view, the matter with Eddie Lowe was over.
This incident had impacted Chris Kyle significantly. Previously, Kyle had co-founded a foundation to support veterans with physical and psychological trauma. Now, he had withdrawn from the organization, and the foundation was largely inactive.
From a professional standpoint, Kyle was probably not the best person for mental health work anyway.
"Maybe it's for the best," Margot said. "At least I don't have to worry about Eddie Lowe coming after me."
She didn't seem to be joking, adding, "Being on the radar of a combat-hardened veteran isn't exactly ideal."
Matthew nodded. "Exactly. I wasn't going to let him out again."
A crew member approached, letting them know it was time to prepare for the next scene.
Matthew donned his suit jacket, and a stylist helped Margot with her wedding veil as they prepared to film Chris Kyle and Taya Kyle's wedding.
Ten minutes later, they emerged from the cabin that served as their waiting area, stepping onto the deck of the ship.
This decommissioned Navy ship had been set up to resemble a wedding venue for a Navy serviceman.
Director Clint Eastwood entered the modestly decorated set and said to them, "Relax, we're not filming the entire ceremony."
He cleared his throat, continuing, "We're keeping things simple. Up next is the scene where you two dance together. There won't be any live audio, but you'll still need to talk and keep up some natural interaction."
Both Matthew and Margot nodded.
They walked to the floral arch, and at Eastwood's cue, the filming began.
Soft music filled the air as Matthew led Margot from the arch, dancing gracefully to the music. Handsome and beautiful, they looked like a perfect match.
This scene was shot from a distance, with no close-ups. Though the script didn't have lines for the characters here, Clint had asked them to talk, so they made small talk.
Matthew looked at Margot and said, "You look beautiful today."
Margot, smiling sweetly as directed, replied, "Every woman in a wedding dress is beautiful." She whispered, "I never thought my first time wearing a wedding dress would be for a movie."
Matthew responded sincerely, "It's my first time being a groom, too."
"Oh?" Margot was curious and asked directly, "But weren't you engaged before?"
He answered without hesitation, "Engagement isn't the same as marriage."
Besides, that engagement had been a publicity stunt.
Margot accidentally stepped on Matthew's foot and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I'm terrible at dancing."
Matthew maintained his happy expression, murmuring, "I'm pretty bad, too." Then he asked, "What's your real specialty? Horseback riding?"
"Yep," Margot admitted. "I'm pretty good at riding."
Matthew leaned closer, speaking quietly. "Actually, there's another look that would suit you, something even more striking."
Like most women, Margot was intrigued and asked, "What kind of look?"
"Tie your hair into pigtails," Matthew said, eyeing her blonde hair under the veil. "Dye it platinum, with one side pink and the other white… and yes, matching eye shadow to go with the pigtails, a little heart under your right eye, and thick blue and pink smoky eye makeup. Oh, and a pair of bold red lips."
Margot was bewildered by this description. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Ignoring her question, he continued, "And let's add to the look: a torn white T-shirt and a baseball bat with 'Good Night' written on it."
Margot was completely lost, her face sweet but her voice laced with confusion. "Matthew, what are you even imagining?"
"Just for fun," he said with a smirk. "Maybe at the next big Hollywood parade, we should go together. You dress like this—you'd be the center of attention, especially with the bat."
Since they were filming, he couldn't gesture much, so he added verbally, "And your personality—you should act a bit crazy, mischievous, with that unique charm that makes everyone look twice."
Margot began to catch on. "Are you talking about a character?"
Matthew neither confirmed nor denied it, adding, "Imagine us at a parade—you, in that costume, with a bat. You could bash someone's head if they crossed you."
Margot laughed and said, "Your imagination is a bit dark, Matthew. All I picture is a circus clown—a female clown."
He replied softly, "You've got a vivid imagination."
"Are we supposed to dress as clowns for the parade?" she whispered back. "Aren't you afraid that'd end up in the tabloids?"
"You forget," he replied with a grin, "I don't care about that."
Matthew then added, "Anyway, speaking of parades, there's a big women's march before the Oscars. I'll be there, and you… should consider going, too. It'd be good for your future."
Margot wasn't dense and understood. "The women's rights movement, right?"
"Exactly," Matthew replied. "It's the current trend."
"Cut!"
Clint Eastwood's voice rang out. "That's a wrap on this one."
He turned to Matthew and Margot. "Great work! You two really hit it off!"
As the music faded, Matthew released Margot, who didn't leave the set right away. "Thanks for the advice," she said.
Matthew shook his head slightly. "No problem."
They left the set to return to their respective waiting areas. Ten minutes later, filming resumed with another shot of the wedding scene, though this time it was a close-up. Matthew and Margot followed the set choreography.
After so many scenes together, they'd developed a natural rhythm, and the wedding scenes wrapped smoothly, with nearly every take completed in a single day.
When Matthew and Margot finally shared an on-screen kiss in front of the floral arch, the crew burst into applause. The wedding scenes were officially complete.
The crew moved to a residential neighborhood in North Hollywood for the next scene. Matthew even had the rare experience of holding a baby, getting a feel for "fatherhood."
Initially, since they hadn't found a suitable baby actor, the crew had prepared a rubber doll. But after Matthew saw it, he discussed it with Clint Eastwood, and they agreed to find a real infant actor instead.
A quick call to Helen Herman solved the issue. She found a baby actor without much trouble.
In Hollywood, there are plenty of parents like Macaulay Culkin's—eager to push their children into the industry.
A child star's earnings can be staggering, sometimes more than what others make in a decade.
After finishing the baby scenes, the filming for American Sniper was officially wrapped, and the project moved into post-production. Matthew now had time to turn his attention to other projects.
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